Ok, so it's here. Chapter ten. I'm really sorry this is the crappiest piece of writing I ever produced in my life but I can't come out with anything better right now. Life's been a bit of a struggle recently and fanfiction had to take a back seat to a few other, more pressing things. I'm really sorry to have kept you waiting, I feel really rude, especially given the quality of this chapter. I will try and make the next one better, I promise. I don't know I've just been finding everything more difficult due to a few personal things that landed on me at the same time. Aww shit. Just please review and thank you to the three lovely people who messaged me just to check I was ok. Thanks guys

Martha watched in shock as the Doctor and Solomon scrabbled with Frank's hands as he was pulled down in the darkness of the cellar.

"Frank!"

"No!" Solomon saw a pig man climbing up the ladder and slammed the lid down hastily. "We can't go after him."

"We have to go back down! We can't leave him."

"No I can't loose anyone else. Those were creatures from hell, hell itself. If we go after them, they'll take us all. There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry." Martha jumped as she heard somebody speak in a harsh, female New Yorker's accent.

"All right then, put 'em up." Everyone put their hands up above their heads. "Hands in the air an no funny business! No tell me you shmucks, what've you done with Lazlo."

"Who's Lazlo?" Tallulah let out a breath that sounded more like a whimper.

"Lazlo's my boyfriend, or was my boyfriend. No letter, no goodbye no nothing. And I'm not stupid. I know some guys are pigs-" Martha winced at the reference- "but not my Lazlo. I mean what kind of guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses."

"It might, might just help if you put that down," said the Doctor, gesturing to the gun. The blonde women seemed to have forgotten she was holding it.

"Huh? Oh sure." She tossed it aside carelessly. "Oh come on. It's not real. Just a prop. It was either that or a spear."

"So what do you think happened to Lazlo?" asked Martha.

"How should I know? One minute he's there and the next- zip, he's vanished."

"Listen ah… what's your name?"

"Tallulah. Three L's and an H."

"Right. We can try to find Lazlo but he's not the only one. There are people disappearing every night."

"And there are creature. Such creatures."

"Whaddya mean creatures?"

"Look. Listen, just trust me. Everyone is in danger. I need to find out exactly what this is-" he removed the green knot from his pocket. "Because then I'll know exactly what we're fighting."

"Yech."

III

"Haven't you reported him missing?" Martha asked the showgirl as she sat in front of the mirror. The Doctor was scavenging for pieces of equipment and Rose was helping him. No, Rose was 'helping' him.

"Sure," she said. "He's just a stagehand. Who care's. The management certainly don't."

"Can't you kick up a fuss or something?"

"Okay, so then they fire me."

She imagined skinny, blonde scraps of women would be able to get anything they wanted from men, especially if they took to prancing around on a stage dressed as angels.

"But they'd listen to you. Your one of the stars."

"Oh honey. I got one stone in a back street revue and that's only because Heidi Chicane broke her ankle-which had nothing to do with me whatever anybody says. I can't afford to make a fuss. If I don't make this month's rent, then before you know it, I'm in Hooverville."

"Ok, I get it."

"It's the depression baby. Your heart might break, but the show goes on 'cause if it stops, you starve. Every night I have to go out there, sing, dance, keep going. Hoping he's gonna come back…" she broke down. Martha hugged her gently.

"I'm sorry." Tallulah pulled out the hug and wiped her eyes.

"Hey your lucky though. You got yourself a forward thinking guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit."

"Uh… he's not, we're not… together," she stammered.

"Sure you are," she said confused. "Your married him right?"

"What?" she spluttered. "We're not married!"

"Huh? He said you were married. Rose right?" Martha remembered the Doctor answering Tallulah's earlier question.

"Who are you?"

"The Doctor. I'm here with Solomon, Martha and Rose. My wife."

"No," she said. "My names Martha. Rose is… with the Doctor and Solomon."

"Oh. I'm sorry honey," said the blonde anxiously. "I didn't mean to… damn it I just assumed that you were his wife… sorry." Martha shrugged.

"It's ok," she said quietly. The show girl shrugged.

"Still, ya gotta live in hope. It's the only thing that keeps me going 'cause-" she lifted a slender white rose from her dressing table. "Look. On my dressing table every day still."

"You think it's Lazlo?"

"I don't know. If he's still around, why's he bein' all secret like he doesn't want me to see him?"

III

"Where is she? Where's Martha?" demanded the Doctor. Rose ran into the room behind him, panting.

"I don't know. She ran off stage."

"Doctor, what the hell are you-" but before she could finish her sentence he was off with a shrill scream.

"Martha!" He ran into the prop room, but it was empty. He noticed the drain cover pulled aside and cursed himself mentally. "They've taken her."

"Bloody hell, Doctor," wheezed Rose. "Tell me next time you're gonna run off on me." The Doctor wasn't listening.

"What the hell 'r ya doing? Crazy guy." Tallulah pulled on a coat and Rose gasped.

"Well if she's going I certainly am," said Rose.

"No no no no. No way. You're not coming."

"Doctor!" Rose exclaimed.

"Tell me what is going on?"

"There's nothing either of you can go. Go back."

"Look, whoever's taken Martha, they could have taken Lazlo, right?"

"Tallulah, you're not safe down here," said Doctor.

"My problem," she hissed, storming away. Rose climbed down the ladder as well.

"And mine," she said. "Not having you off with those two on your own am I?"

"Yeah, whatever Rose." He stormed onwards.

III

The Doctor lurked, alone in the shadows watching the daleks, his true enemy, line up a group of humans, including Martha Jones against the wall. His heart leapt when he saw Frank.

He'd sent both Tallulah and Rose back up to the surface, the former had been eager to go the latter, had not. It was only when he said he was protecting her and that the daleks would recognise her that she melted and gave him a kiss and said he was her hero that she left. He shuddered.

The people came stumbling past and he picked his moment well.

"Keep moving," he said, grabbing hold of Martha from behind. She sighed in relief.

"I am so glad to see you," she said. She was holding her hand to her chest, he noticed. He hoped it wasn't hurt. He rested his hands gently on the sides of her waist, making it look like it was for support but secretly enjoying the experience.

"Yeah well you can kiss me later," he said, making his tone jokey though it was, of course, anything but. She raised her eyebrows, and he hastened to cover it up. "You too Frank."